Food Trucks in Jax: DVI Board Votes No

[ben says]

Why is it that everyone wants to complicate the issue?

Food Trucks in Hemming.  When (not if) they set up shop, they will draw more people from the offices to try it out, if nothing more than the novelty.  Say 1,000 people try it out.  Out of that 1,000, 300 of them are the people that usually sit at their desk and eat microwaved lean cuisines because they only have 45 minutes or so to eat and can't justify spending $10 on lunch, but were coerced by a friend at work to try it out.   

Well, that's 300 people now walking past your (brick & mortar) menu board on the way to Hemming, the same one's that are normally at their desk, that say - oh, I didn't know they had that, or - that looks delicious, maybe we need to come by here next week.

Not only are the food trucks NOT going to take away your regular business, they will more than likely INCREASE your exposure, which would lead to MORE business.  Think of it as free advertising.

It's the same reason the businesses downtown get the shaft before and after Jags games.  That's potentially 60k people that are being shuttled just outside of your door that don't have an opportunity to stop in.  IF they (JSO) didn't manage the flow of traffic so well, it would give people a reason to park further away and walk or shuttle and even stop in, grab a few more drinks (probably unneeded after the game) or browse your gallery for a bit, while the traffic dies down.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

[fsujax]

you know, locating them at Hemming is a great idea. Close to a Skyway station. Think of all the southbank employees who never venture to the northbank. They just might leave their side of the river for something like this. More people on the Skyway, more feet on the sidewalks, a win for everyone. It seems so logical.

[Bativac]

you know, locating them at Hemming is a great idea. Close to a Skyway station. Think of all the southbank employees who never venture to the northbank. They just might leave their side of the river for something like this. More people on the Skyway, more feet on the sidewalks, a win for everyone. It seems so logical.

I agree with this 100%.

I had a friend who worked on the Southbank. I used to visit for lunch and we'd frequently end up at the Landing mall-style food court (us and maybe a couple dozen other people). But if there were food trucks at Hemming Plaza, we would gladly have taken the Skyway over there.

(As an aside, that friend, a lifelong Jax resident, left town a couple years ago for Greenville, SC, citing among other reasons, a "much nicer" downtown!)

[mtraininjax]

If the DVI gets paid on this, by the trucks, with a new licensing fee, I believe we will see them downtown. Again, its a money issue with brick and mortar paying into the fund and so should the trucks. Pay the man get your license.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

If the DVI gets paid on this, by the trucks, with a new licensing fee, I believe we will see them downtown. Again, its a money issue with brick and mortar paying into the fund and so should the trucks. Pay the man get your license.

We agree on something, somewhat.  If they (the trucks) want to operate individually, they should most definitely pay into the 'sidewalk seating' fund at a rate greater than the normal restaurants. 

I also think that it would be more of a benefit for everyone if it were held weekly in a bazaar type fashion - at least until the word is spread.  With a certain day of the week set aside for a certain area downtown - with all the extra permitting fees waived, until the concept is solid enough for these guys to go out on their own. 

I guess I'm saying that I wouldn't want to just roll my truck up to Hemming and expect sales, I would at least like some fanfare and pomp and circumstance for the first few times to draw out the cubicle eaters.   And I wouldn't really want to pay anything for the opportunity, but if it seems like something that could be sustainable in the future, without the ticker tape,  I'd gladly pay the extra fees to allow my truck in town.

[CityLife]

Great piece Field! A couple questions. I haven't been able to follow this whole thing, so apologies if I'm rehashing old arguments.

Are vacancy rates lower in other areas where Food Trucks are widely implemented? Are rents higher there than in Jax? Basically, is it more difficult to open a start up restaurant in those places vs. Downtown Jax?

Would Downtown Vision be less opposed to Food Trucks if they operated at night in the "E-Zone" (or whatever the heck they want to call it)? I've always thought of food trucks as being more of a nighttime thing. Me and a few others in Springfield once kicked around the idea of opening a weekly or monthly "night market" with different food vendors/trucks from around town, live music, drinks, art, etc. Basically an Art Walk type thing restricted to one spot. With the existing bars and venues along Adams, Forsyth, and Bay, it would be awesome to close down a few of those streets and have a food truck/night market festival once a month (or more).

I think food trucks would bring more people to downtown at night than at lunchtime. More people would come walk the River Walk at night if they knew they could grab a quick and easy bite to eat on the waterfront. More people would come to the bars if they knew there were an array of pre and post drinking food options.

I'm not taking DVI's side at all. Just wondering if a compromise could be to allow food trucks to operate at night in the entertainment district. Art Walk is a once a month band-aid. Jazz Fest is a once a year shot in the arm. Downtown needs to start taking daily multi-vitamins. Allowing Food Trucks to operate in the entertainment district would be another step in creating a healthy and sustainable downtown.

[mtraininjax]

I don't expect to see a Food Truck in Avondale anytime soon, unless it pays to be there on a day where the merchants have closed the streets. There is simply no parking available for a Food Truck. The Shell spaces are leased to 'town and Brick workers, so unless downtown gets its act together, I may never see a Food Truck in my 'hood.

Any thought to having them show up at RAM when they offer beer on the 2 weekends of the year they are allowed to have beer? That would be an awesome event, we might not ever leave the underbelly of I-95. Maybe they could have a Food truck event at Annie Lytle?

[duvaldude08]

Great piece Field! A couple questions. I haven't been able to follow this whole thing, so apologies if I'm rehashing old arguments.

Are vacancy rates lower in other areas where Food Trucks are widely implemented? Are rents higher there than in Jax? Basically, is it more difficult to open a start up restaurant in those places vs. Downtown Jax?

Would Downtown Vision be less opposed to Food Trucks if they operated at night in the "E-Zone" (or whatever the heck they want to call it)? I've always thought of food trucks as being more of a nighttime thing. Me and a few others in Springfield once kicked around the idea of opening a weekly or monthly "night market" with different food vendors/trucks from around town, live music, drinks, art, etc. Basically an Art Walk type thing restricted to one spot. With the existing bars and venues along Adams, Forsyth, and Bay, it would be awesome to close down a few of those streets and have a food truck/night market festival once a month (or more).

I think food trucks would bring more people to downtown at night than at lunchtime. More people would come walk the River Walk at night if they knew they could grab a quick and easy bite to eat on the waterfront. More people would come to the bars if they knew there were an array of pre and post drinking food options.

I'm not taking DVI's side at all. Just wondering if a compromise could be to allow food trucks to operate at night in the entertainment district. Art Walk is a once a month band-aid. Jazz Fest is a once a year shot in the arm. Downtown needs to start taking daily multi-vitamins. Allowing Food Trucks to operate in the entertainment district would be another step in creating a healthy and sustainable downtown.

Now I will say that the food trucks at night are a definate plus for the bar/cub crowd. When I stayed on univeristy, there were at 2-3 food trucks within a couple blocks from each other. (due the club crowd from club rain ,etc) I almost wrecked one night because I see a bar b que food truck at 2:45  in the morning. Heck If I knew there were food trucks downtown at night,I would go down there just because. LOL

But the point is they shouldnt be limited at all. Its just stupid. I dont see any other resturant downtown " losing business" because of food truck during lunch time. They would just add variety to the "food" scape. And with the pouring in of Everbank employees into downtown, they would make a ton of money. HOPEFULLY, the council shots down their recommendation. I PRAY they do.

[Adam W]

Now I will say that the food trucks at night are a definate plus for the bar/cub crowd. When I stayed on univeristy, there were at 2-3 food trucks within a couple blocks from each other. (due the club crowd from club rain ,etc) I almost wrecked one night because I see a bar b que food truck at 2:45  in the morning. Heck If I knew there were food trucks downtown at night,I would go down there just because. LOL

But the point is they shouldnt be limited at all. Its just stupid. I dont see any other resturant downtown " losing business" because of food truck during lunch time. They would just add variety to the "food" scape. And with the pouring in of Everbank employees into downtown, they would make a ton of money. HOPEFULLY, the council shots down their recommendation. I PRAY they do.

+1

[Anti redneck]

Why is it that everyone wants to complicate the issue?

Food Trucks in Hemming.  When (not if) they set up shop, they will draw more people from the offices to try it out, if nothing more than the novelty.  Say 1,000 people try it out.  Out of that 1,000, 300 of them are the people that usually sit at their desk and eat microwaved lean cuisines because they only have 45 minutes or so to eat and can't justify spending $10 on lunch, but were coerced by a friend at work to try it out.   

Well, that's 300 people now walking past your (brick & mortar) menu board on the way to Hemming, the same one's that are normally at their desk, that say - oh, I didn't know they had that, or - that looks delicious, maybe we need to come by here next week.

Not only are the food trucks NOT going to take away your regular business, they will more than likely INCREASE your exposure, which would lead to MORE business.  Think of it as free advertising.

It's the same reason the businesses downtown get the shaft before and after Jags games.  That's potentially 60k people that are being shuttled just outside of your door that don't have an opportunity to stop in.  IF they (JSO) didn't manage the flow of traffic so well, it would give people a reason to park further away and walk or shuttle and even stop in, grab a few more drinks (probably unneeded after the game) or browse your gallery for a bit, while the traffic dies down.

Yeah, watch them be told they can't be at Hemming. They need to revolt, to protest, to let their voices be heard! These anti-progress people will continue to run things off if they are not stood up to!

[Adam W]

Why is it that everyone wants to complicate the issue?

Food Trucks in Hemming.  When (not if) they set up shop, they will draw more people from the offices to try it out, if nothing more than the novelty.  Say 1,000 people try it out.  Out of that 1,000, 300 of them are the people that usually sit at their desk and eat microwaved lean cuisines because they only have 45 minutes or so to eat and can't justify spending $10 on lunch, but were coerced by a friend at work to try it out.   

Well, that's 300 people now walking past your (brick & mortar) menu board on the way to Hemming, the same one's that are normally at their desk, that say - oh, I didn't know they had that, or - that looks delicious, maybe we need to come by here next week.

Not only are the food trucks NOT going to take away your regular business, they will more than likely INCREASE your exposure, which would lead to MORE business.  Think of it as free advertising.

It's the same reason the businesses downtown get the shaft before and after Jags games.  That's potentially 60k people that are being shuttled just outside of your door that don't have an opportunity to stop in.  IF they (JSO) didn't manage the flow of traffic so well, it would give people a reason to park further away and walk or shuttle and even stop in, grab a few more drinks (probably unneeded after the game) or browse your gallery for a bit, while the traffic dies down.

Plus, what's to stop the brick and mortar restaurants from operating their own food trucks? If the food trucks go down well, it might be the perfect way to exploit the market and get additional diners they wouldn't normally get.

I can see a restaurant like Burrito Gallery doing the food truck thing and making a lot of money.

[JeffreyS]

I was told at the Brick and Mortar location for Monroe's Smokehouse that they had hoped to use their truck to find a good place to put a Brick and Mortar downtown. The problem is they can't park their truck to find out if it is a good market.

[thelakelander]

Plus, what's to stop the brick and mortar restaurants from operating their own food trucks? If the food trucks go down well, it might be the perfect way to exploit the market and get additional diners they wouldn't normally get.

I can see a restaurant like Burrito Gallery doing the food truck thing and making a lot of money.

Absolutely.  A few of the trucks at the Jax Truckies event were owned by local restaurants.  Monroe's Smokehouse is located on the Westside and Brucci's Pizza has three brick and mortar locations in town.  This whole regulation issue concerning food trucks is really silly and shows how backward we can be at times.  Half of the concerns and fears mentioned about this industry can easily be answered with a simple Google search.  Too many people make too much money to not be able to subject themselves to a couple of minutes of research on issues before coming to economic impacting conclusions, imo.  When will we realize that nothing is new under the sun and that Jax is a decade behind most peer communities on issues like this?  Because we're so behind, finding good and bad examples to the issues we currently deal with tends to be a fairly easy task.

[Bill Hoff]

I'm curious as to why people think these food trucks would draw new people into Downtown for lunch.

After all, they'd have to fight the much talked about parking problems in Downtown which have been highligthed 1000 times on MJ, and do so with a limited amount of time to travel to Downtown, park, eat, and return to where they came from.

In my view, food trucks would attract mostly the same lunch crowd that eats lunch Downtown right now, thus canabilzing the brick & mortars business....which matter more than food trucks.

[thelakelander]

I'm curious as to why people think these food trucks would draw new people into Downtown for lunch.

Because we've evaluated other cities where the trucks have actually done what we're claiming.  Tampa is a great example.  Anyone who really wants to see if person should consider a day trip down there when one of the rallies are taking place.

After all, they'd have to fight the much talked about parking problems in Downtown which have been highligthed 1000 times on MJ, and do so with a limited amount of time to travel to Downtown, park, eat, and return to where they came from.

Why all of the fear about allowing small business growth in the urban core, in the form of a food truck generating foot traffic in the dead zones of downtown?

In my view, food trucks would attract mostly the same lunch crowd that eats lunch Downtown right now, thus canabilzing the brick & mortars business....which matter more than food trucks.

You're view isn't supported by the reality of what's occurring in cities like Tampa.  Policy decisions should not be made on opinions without a basis of factual data to support them.  What facts are you basing your opinion upon?